Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-09-04
THE B. & 0. DEAL.
A Good Deal Of Excitement in the City
Over Il
PUBLIC FEELING ON THE NATTER.
A Large Majority Of Citizens Think it Bad
for Wheeling.
TALK OF TIE BRIDGE REVIVED,

The publication yesterday morning OF
the fact that the big B. & o. deal had
been consumated, and giving details OF the
transfer of the whole enormous railroad
property to the Pennsylvania Company,
created o good deal Of excitement among
the business men and manufacturers OF
the city, and during the day the matter
was very generally talked over. A decided
preponderance of sentiment was that the
change would be bad thing for the town,
although here and there could be found
one who, only mindful Of the illiberal
course of the B. & o. toward Wheeling,
could see no cause for mourning over the
collapse Of the corporation and its transfer
to the Pennsylvania people. Many who
admitted all the misdeeds of the B. & o.,
still regretted the transfer exceedingly, for
the reason that bad as was the Company's
policy toward Wheeling as community,
it was q good thing to have the road named
aud the Pennsylvania as competitors, as
they generally held each other pretty level,
and between them gave shippers something
like fair show. With the whole thing
under the control Of one company it was
feared the business interests Of the city
would be at the mercy of the railroad
people, and thst the result would be very
unsatisfactory.
More than once the sentiment was
voiced that now the union bridge project,
uniting the upper end Of town with Mar
tins Ferry, should be pushed toa practical
contamination, and a generous hand ex-
tended to the half-dozen Ohio roads which
have been so long pointing in this direction
without coming sppreciably nearer. 1t was
urged that competition in railroad matters
was an absolute necessity to our people,
and that the city and county combined
should build not only the bridge, but
double track road, running through the hill
at the upper end of town to the west end of
Fulton and thence south along the creek
bank through East Wheeling to the mouth
of the creek. This road and the bridge
should be thrown open to all railroads and
through its use very advantageous terms
and invaluable facilities could be secured.
The plans, surveys and estimates for the
OTluEe AL dhu W
and, indeed, ground was once broken on
the eastern approach, near the Top mill.
Here is n chance for Wheeling to wake up
in another direction.
Following are the views Of few of the
many gentlemen spoken to yesterday by
REGISTER reporters:-
Joseph Speidel-It is one Of the worst
things that could happen to Wheeling and
her commercial interests. We might as
well close up shop and quit business in
Wheeling if one company gets control OF
all the railroad lines leading into the city.
| hope, though, that the Pennsylvania
Company will not be too hard on u.s.
Maj. Alonzo Loring-If it is tact that
the 3. < D. is to be under the direct con-
troll of the Pennsylvania system, and there
does not seem to be much doubl that it is,
it will be the most unfortunate
thing that ever happened TO Wheeling
We now pay sixty-fiye cents per
ton more for the transportation
of coke than Pittsburg does, which makes
at least IS cents difference in the cost of u
ton of iron. If the freight rate is to be ad
vanced you can easily see that Wheeling
will be placed at great disadvantage. AS
the Pennsylvania company is PennSylva-
MIA institution, it is very probable that
they will discriminate in favor Of that
State, and if any place is to get the benefit
it will be Pittsburg. The whole fact of
the matter is that. Wheeling is simply
powarless to help herself, and will be at
the mercy of the Pennsylvania company.
william Ellingham-I would not be
surprised to see the Pennsylvania company
take advantage of the situation and push
the rates up. OF course, having control of
all the lines, they can easily do it, and
place US in a bad position; but it may be
that the company will not take an unfair
advantage of the situation.
Simpson, Hoge & Co.-Lately our
freight rates have not been matter OF
very serious moment to our business, but
if the Pennsylvania Company should take
a notion they could make the rates q mat
ter of grea consideration, and as they are
to have control of the only competing line
we had, no doubt they will take advan-
tage of the situation. 1t will be against
the business interests of the city.
in. yance-It is a little early yet to
tell much about the effect the deal will
have in Wheeling, for we cannot tell ex-
actly what will be done. The transaction
was q great surprise to me, as had thought
that the b. & D. was in a sound financial
condition. The condition of things clearly
shows that the junior Garrett doesn't pos
sess the ability to manage a railroad that
his father did. The Pennsylvania Com
pany may raise the freight rate on US, 10
which event it will be an unfortunate
thing for Wheeling. However, l have
heretofore found the Pennsylvania Com
pany very accommodating, and / think it
may not take advantage Of US. Anyway
it is a bad thing for one company to have
control of all the trunk lines that enter the
city.
n. B. Scott think it Is bad thing
for the manufacturing interests of Wheel
ing, and have felt rather blue over it all
day. The Pennsylvania Company may
treat Us all right, but when big corpo-
ration like that gets all tho power they
generally exert il. As long as we had the
two roads in here we felt easy, but now it
places us in very precarious sitDation.
A. J. Sweeney < Son.-The deal doesn't
strike US at all fsvorably, and think we
will get in a pinch if We can't get some
of the new roads in the city some way.
G. r. Tracy believe the change will
be beneficial to the city. The Pennsylya-
mia Company has always been most liberal
in dealing Sith the cities and towns
through which IL raEs while the policy
OF the B. & .. was directly the reverse.
We could not be treated worse than we
were by the B. l. o. and any change must
be for the better.
Joseph A. Farsi don't see how the
change can hurt US very much. The r. 81
o. was not noted for its hberality.
p II. Moors-The time has now come
for the city to act on the bridge question,
but At the same time, I don't think the
newspapers are altogether justified in their
claim that the Pennsyivania Company has
absorbed the e so. BE that as Il nay,
tine change, whatever il is, maksss bridge
at the upper end of the Island morethsn
ever desirable The city ought :, bIld
and own such bridge, and also a line If
double track road through the hill al
Johnathanis Rayine and down the VALLEY